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How-to: Replace Car Battery Terminal Clamps

Power - by Joe Weber - updated on 9/3/2024

If your car's battery terminal clamps don't tighten properly, are cracked, worn out or showing other signs of distress, it's time to replace them. Don't worry, though – it's a quick and inexpensive fix. With just a few essential tools and about ten minutes, you'll have it done in no time.

Tools and Parts Needed

Replacing your battery terminal clamps is an easy job that only requires a few tools:

Important Note

Different vehicle manufacturers sometimes use different battery terminal clamps. These instructions are for some of the more common terminal clamps: bolt-on.

Step 1: Safety First

Before you begin, turn off your car and remove the keys from the ignition. Put on your safety gloves and goggles to protect yourself from any potential acid spills or sparks.

Step 2: Disconnect the Battery

  1. Locate the battery: Open your car's hood and find the battery.
  2. Disconnect the negative terminal: Loosen the nut on the negative (-) terminal using a wrench or pliers and remove the cable. Always disconnect the negative terminal first to avoid any electrical shorts.
  3. Disconnect the positive terminal: Repeat the process for the positive (+) terminal.
  4. Bonus: If you feel uncomfortable working on the wiring while the battery is still in the car, you can loosen the hold-down and remove the battery from the vehicle. This will eliminate any accidental connections to the positive or negative terminals.

Step 3: Inspect the Battery

Now is the perfect time to take a look at your battery. Look for corrosion on the terminals and any cracks or bulges in the battery case. If there is corrosion on the terminals, clean them before attaching the new clamps. If you notice any damage to the battery case or bulging, it might be time to shop for a new car or truck battery.

Step 3a: Clean the Battery Terminals

If you see any corrosion it's time to clean the battery terminals. Using your new battery terminal cleaning supplies, clean and scrub both battery posts. This ensures a good connection when you install the new clamps and helps prevent new corrosion from forming.

Step 4: Remove the Old Clamps

Now that you have the battery disconnected we can inspect the cables and clamps for damage and wear. If your cables and connectors look great, congratulations, you're done! If the connectors are in rough shape, cracked or abnormally rusty, it's time to put on new ones.

  1. Begin by loosening and removing the two bolts that hold the clamp to the wire(s) with a wrench or socket.
  2. Slide the old terminal clamp off the wire.

Step 5: Install the New Clamps

  1. Wipe off the bare wire and lightly score the bare wire with sandpaper to remove any tarnish or material buildup. This helps make a secure connection with the new terminal clamp.
  2. With the wire clean you can slide the new clamp onto the wire and tighten the new bolts to hold the new clamp in place.
    1. If your vehicle has an additional single, small wire that connects, slide that into the new clamp before tightening the bolts.
  3. Gently but firmly tug at the clamp once the bolts are tightened to ensure everything is tightened securely.
  4. Repeat these steps for the other cable.

Step 6: Reconnect the Battery

  1. Connect the positive terminal: Attach the positive (+) cable to the positive terminal and tighten it with a wrench.
  2. Connect the negative terminal: Attach the negative (-) cable to the negative clamp and tighten it.

Step 7: Final Check

Double-check that all connections are secure and the clamps are tight. Remove any tools or debris from the engine compartment. Hop in the car and turn the key. If the car starts with no problem, you're done! Turn off the engine and close the hood.

Batteries Plus Is Here to Help with Your Automotive Battery Needs

If you need a little extra help or are looking for something hard to find for your car or truck, give us a call! At Batteries Plus, we're more than just automotive batteries—that's what the 'Plus' is all about.

We offer various automotive products and services, including headlights, interior lights, wiper blades, key fobs and batteries, and more. Visit our Automotive Center or drop by your local Batteries Plus to see how we can assist you!

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